A Cheater's Guide to Shiny Hair

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The shiniest hair is virgin hair. But who wants to take an abstinence pledge (no swimming pools, blow-dryers, or hair color)? Instead, try these smart new cheats that give hair glossy, glassy, healthy-looking shine.

Go With Gloss

"Glossing treatments have polymers that lock the silicone to the hair strands," says cosmetic chemist Ni'Kita Wilson. Glosses are also particularly good for fine hair, which tends to fall flat under the weight of serums. "They have a lot of water-soluble ingredients, so when you rinse the gloss out, it's not as heavy as it would be if you were using a straight serum," says Wilson. Once a week, after you shampoo, work a clear gloss, like John Frieda Clear Shine Luminous Glaze, through your hair from roots to ends.

Play Chemist

If you keep apple cider vinegar in the pantry, you need to relocate it. This unassuming and inexpensive beauty product contains acetic acid, which, thanks to a lower pH, is better than shampoo at removing mineral buildup from hair, says cosmetic chemist Randy Schueller. Mix the vinegar with your regular conditioner right in the bottle (the ratio is one part vinegar to two parts conditioner) to help it spread evenly through your hair, advises hairstylist Nathaniel Hawkins, who suggests using it every day. (For a less smelly alternative, try Fekkai Apple Cider Clarifying Shampoo.)

Mist on Hair Spray—but Not for the Reason You Think

The new flexible-hold hair sprays "get rid of flyaways and don't leave a film," says hairstylist Sarah Potempa. Spray an alcohol-free version (alcohol can exacerbate frizz), like L'Oréal Paris EverStyle Strong Hold Styling Spray, on a paddle brush. When your hair is dry, brush each section twice: once from the roots to the ends and once from the middle to the ends. "It smooths the cuticle and makes the hair look shinier," says Potempa.

Give Up Starch

Dry shampoo and texturizing spray coat the hair with shine-sapping powder and polymers, respectively. To get volume without destroying shine, work a mousse specifically described as moisturizing, like Davines This Is a Curl Moisturizing Mousse, through your hair while it's damp. Although mousse can often make hair look dry, the extra conditioners in moisturizing ones counteract the dulling effects of the holding agents, explains cosmetic chemist Mort Westman.

Be Blunt

"Layers create air space, so layered hair doesn't reflect light as well," says Hawkins, who suggests a blunt cut in the fall after summer has done its damage. "If you normally cut half an inch, get a full inch," he says.